


Among These Vibrant Lights

by sweetreverie



Series: No Time To Die [2]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: AU, Apocalyptic World, F/F, Gen, Mild Language, Nobody Dies, Zombie AU, part 2 of a series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24923023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetreverie/pseuds/sweetreverie
Summary: Everyone else around them had their eyes focused on the woman, their expressions varied from anger to fearful awe. Though she had no idea who the woman was, it made sense. Her eyes were cold and piercing. Add it to the tactical gear hanging off of her frame and the menacing scar across her mouth, the woman looked like she could make a grown man cry.She probably had.
Relationships: Andrea Sachs & Serena, Emily Charlton & Andrea Sachs, Emily Charlton/Serena, Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Series: No Time To Die [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784107
Comments: 18
Kudos: 89





	1. A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long two weeks since I posted! Thank you all for your patience! My muse is very picky and loves to come round when I'm most busy. Still, I hope you enjoy this next bit of the series. This was originally meant to be a single piece, but I made the decision to break it in two. This will let me add more detail so I can make this extra enjoyable for everyone. 
> 
> For a few items of business- if you haven't read part one of this series, you'll want to do so. It'll provide necessary background that is important in understanding the story. Second, thank you to my beautiful beta readers A&A. Without them I would be nothing. Lastly, if anyone is looking for a specific schedule when it comes to this series, I am aiming to upload every other week. 
> 
> Thank you SO much to all of the lovelies who left reviews on part one! Your comments are what motivated to continue. I will shamelessly ask that you continue providing feedback, it is truly my bread and butter. Now, onto the story!

If Andy had any preconceived ideas about the Compound before, a week had been more than enough time to dispel them. During her travels she’d expected to stumble upon a homestead of people struggling to keep themselves a-float. A garden full of wilted plants, maybe a fence haphazardly thrown together. Somewhere that screamed of human error. 

Those thoughts wilted when Tish took her on a tour of her new home. The garden full of dying plants she’d imagined was actually multiple buildings with perfect atmospheric control, bursting at the seams with food in more colors than she’d ever imagined. Fences had been put together strategically- chain link topped with barbed wire, a thick concrete wall, and another barbed wire fence behind it. Patrols sat in lit towers or walked the vast length to ensure no compromised areas. It was more regimented and militant than she’d ever anticipated. And more electronically stable. It was amazing what you could do in the middle of nowhere with thousands of solar panels and a few wind turbines.

As far as everyone was concerned, the Compound was a dream. Maybe too good of one. 

She’d be the first to admit that settling in had taken some adjustment. Those who lived within the walls of the Compound had assigned duties that they carried out each day. And since schedules differed, so did the wake up calls. Klaxons screamed out three eerie wake up calls each morning. The first began at 6:15 am and lasted for five minutes in a high-pitched wail. When it ended, the harvesters, medics, and mechanics had ten minutes to be ready and working. Next came at 7:15, boasting a low, droning alarm. Guards dealt with shift turnover and essentialists like cooks or cleaners got started on their day. The last rang through the air an hour later in a sound similar to the first of the day. And this is where scouts began their day. 

Newcomers had the luxury of waking when they wanted, something Andy took advantage of thoroughly. After the first week though, she was ready to integrate herself into the society bustling around her. So she dedicated her time to shadowing the various groups, working alongside them and familiarizing herself with the job descriptions. And in the process, she’d made quite a few friends; Doug, Nate, and Lily. 

_Lily and Nate were childhood friends who’d come from West Virginia. After searching for somewhere safe, the Compound had become their safe haven._ _Lily was one of the Compound guards, while Nate easily fit into a role in the kitchens._

_ Meeting Lily had been by chance. She’d been taking a walk around the grounds, mentally cataloging her surroundings, when she’d run into the woman. Literally. The two had knocked shoulders hard and stumbled back from one another.  _

_ “Damn, were you a hockey player before the world went to hell?” Lily had asked, rubbing her shoulder with a wince. A large uniform was draped over her figure, as well as a strap across her upper body connected to the large gun in her hand. Where her outward appearance could be intimidating, her smile was friendly.  _

_ “Can’t say that I was. I’ve got horrible balance,” Andy laughed, “Sorry about that, by the way.”  _

_ “No worries, I’ve taken harder beatings than that. What brings you outside so early, newbie? I’d think you would be taking advantage of having a free schedule.”  _

_ “I’m one of the few that prefers a full schedule, honestly. How did you know I was new? Is it that obvious?”  _

_ “Not at all. I just happened to be around when you came in with Tish and… Serena,” Lily hesitated before spitting out the other woman’s name, her face scrunched up in a scowl, “Are you filling up your time walking around out here?”  _

_ Andy raised an eyebrow at the visceral reaction when mentioning Serena. Curiosity filled her, but she thought it best not to ask so soon. The woman had seemed nice enough, but she had only met her once. The brunette shrugged away her curious thoughts quickly.  _

_ “No, I was looking to shadow each of the roles around here. That way when roles are assigned I know what I’m in for.” Andy replied.  _

_ “Alright, well- we’ve got the harvesters, they see to food production and cleanliness. They’ve always got their hands in the dirt. Not for me personally, but we’d be nothing without them. Then you’ve got medics and mechanics, pretty self-explanatory, right? If you have a medical degree or went to trade school that would probably fit you pretty well,” The woman explained, gesturing vaguely with her hands before continuing, “We’ve got our essentialists too. Cooks and cleaners mostly, but they take care of what trash we do produce here. We’re usually pretty low-waste. There are scouts- but you won’t get anywhere near shadowing them. And then you’ve got guards like me, who are clearly the most badass ones here.”  _

_ “Obviously,” The brunette said with a grin, “What do you mean about the scouts? Nobody talks about them much, it's a bit like pulling teeth to get information. Are they super secretive or something?”  _

_ “No, but look, they’re pretty complicated. There are three groups of them- scavengers go out to collect resources, seekers look for survivors like you and bring them back, and then you’ve got… well, they are officially known as collectors, though everyone knows them better as butchers. There are good scouts like Tish that you’ll meet, but a lot of them are elitist assholes. Especially the butchers. You won’t get anywhere near them so it’s better to not bother.”  _

_ “They can’t all be-”  _

_ “Enough of the negative stuff. How would you like to be a badass for a day?” Lily said playfully, throwing an arm around Andy’s shoulders. _

The two had spent the day working side by side patrolling the grounds and overseeing transport through the gates. She met enough of the other guards to realize that Lily’s relaxed mood wasn’t typical. Stern faces and tense muscles were more common. And while she liked Lily, the atmosphere was enough to make her wary of it being her assignment. That, and she wasn’t too thrilled with the shoot-first mentality. Even when the world was near its end, she liked to cling to the civil humanity she had. And becoming a trigger-happy guard wouldn’t aid that plan. 

She didn’t see the day as a loss though, since she’d met Lily. That night she’d been quickly introduced to Nate while he worked the dinner rush. After everyone had been served he sought them out and introduced himself with a flirtatious smile. Andy had offered a friendly smile of her own, all the while wincing internally. He wasn’t unattractive, she just wasn’t interested. Luckily for her, Lily talked enough to keep the conversation from venturing anywhere uncomfortable. 

The next day, she met Doug. 

Doug was from Boston and had been lucky enough to be on his way out of the city when the first wave of infection hit. He’d driven until his car had run out of gas, living off of the land for a week before scouts had picked him up. 

Andy had taken a shine to the kind-hearted harvester the second she met him. His twinkling eyes and good humor made her feel at ease. Many harvesters had a stern approach to their work, but the young man took what he did seriously while having fun. It felt easy spending time with Doug. So after a brilliant day of burying her hands in the dirt, she’d introduced the three individuals, cultivating her own close-knit community. 

The brunette fondly replayed the week’s events over in her head while making her way to the dining area. Making her way around a corner, she failed to notice what was in front of her until she ran into it. 

“Watch it!” A snarky, very english voice snapped. Launching back into reality, Andy looked directly into the face of an angry redhead. Narrowed eyes looked right back. 

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Andy apologized, putting her hands up in a well-meaning gesture. 

The other woman rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. It was then that the brunette registered the jagged scar down the side of her face and dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks.  _ Maybe that is why she’s so angry,  _ Andy thought. 

“As you should be. Now get out of my way and don’t let it happen again.” 

Andy blinked as the rude english woman stepped around her and walked in the opposite direction. She took in the disheveled clothes and hair as she walked away. Brown eyes widened with shock as she noticed a skeletal-looking, metal prosthetic arm on the woman’s right side. 

“How have I never seen her before?” The brunette mumbled to herself, “That’s the scariest bitch I’ve ever seen.” 

“Talking to yourself again?” Lily’s friendly voice teased as she came around the corner. 

“It’s a habit I don’t think I’ll ever break, Lils,” She replied fondly, forgetting the rude woman, “Now, what’s for dinner? I’m starving!”

“You, starving? I’d never guess!” 

Letting out a loud laugh, the two linked arms and made their way to the dining area. Doug was waiting for them with a pensive look on his face. So engaged in thought, he didn’t notice them until they sat down. And even then he continued to fidget with his fingers- a sign he was paying more attention to what was going on inside of his brain than to either of them. 

“Everything okay, Dougie?” 

“I’m in the middle of an impossible dilemma!” The man blurted out dramatically, looking distressed. 

The two women weren’t sure whether or not to be concerned. Doug often had a flair for the dramatic- and while it made for many laughs, it made it difficult to distinguish when he was actually serious. This was one of those moments. Lily and Andy shared a silent look before taking a seat, the brunette next to Doug and Lily on the opposite side. 

“Why don’t you tell us about it?” Lily suggested gently. 

“You know Sheila in the fruit building, right? Well, she came into my building today and asked me to join her team. Apparently she heard Maria talking about my vegetable cross strains and wants me to spearhead that in her building,” The man spoke quickly, “And it is such an amazing opportunity, but I am so loyal to Maria. She doesn’t even know Sheila asked me! I’m so torn!” 

Andy blinked rapidly, her brain trying to connect what her friend had said. Not being a harvester herself, it was difficult to understand why this would be so important. Doug could never fault her for not trying. As she opened her mouth to form a decent reply, Nate hurriedly shuffled up to the table and sat down next to Lily. 

“The butchers got back today,” He spit out angrily, “I thought we had a few more days. So imagine my surprise when I get on shift and that metal bitch is waiting to give me demands. All ‘Miranda needs this,’ like her psycho boss is queen of the Compound.” 

“Metal bitch?” 

“One of the butchers has a metal arm from the elbow down. She’s a real headcase.” Lily supplied, stabbing a green bean from the tray Nate had set down. 

“She wouldn’t happen to have red hair… would she?” Andy asked slowly, though it made no difference. All of her friend’s heads snapped up and eyes focused on her. 

“You met her?” 

“Not exactly, no. I ran into her and she told me to watch where I was going.” 

If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Lily and Nate looked disappointed with the information. Like they’d expected worse. Or for her to be more angry about the interaction. She glanced at Doug for a moment, feeling a strange relief at the neutral expression on his face. Sure, the english woman had been rude, but she wasn’t going to hold a grudge over it. She’d seemed seriously out of it.

“Anyway,” Andy said hesitantly, “What’s on the dinner menu, Nate? Anything exciting?” 

“Veggie burgers. It’s a new recipe and everything, apparently it tastes just like a real burger.” 

“If dinner is veggie burgers, then why do you have pasta?” The brunette asked with a grin. 

“That’s the perk of working in the kitchen, babe, I get to make whatever I want,” Nate responded with a flirty grin, before twirling some spaghetti onto his fork. 

Andy let out an uncomfortable chuckle, avoiding eye contact without trying to be obvious about it. She wasn’t sure how obvious his flirting was to the rest of the table, but she didn’t want her friends to feel weird about it. His blatant interest in her was not something she’d expected initially. Overly-nice is how she’d have described him when Lily introduced her, though now she could tell why he acted that way- He wasn’t shy with suggestive comments in the few moments they were alone. She’d ignored them, playing dumb, having no interest in the confrontation that’d come from turning him down. 

She was saved from having to respond by the ringing of the dinner bell. Everyone who’d made it to the dining area early shuffled up to the counter for food. Andy was briefly reminded of the lunchline in school. Weaving through the people to grab what she wanted, she bumped into another body. 

“Sorry- Oh, hi Serena!” Andy spoke breathlessly, her face quickly morphing into a bright smile upon seeing the woman. She noticed that the woman was not as put together as she had been the first time they met, dirt coloring her arms and strands of hair obscuring her face. 

“Andy,” Serena replied brightly, “Lovely to see you. How are you settling in?” 

“I’m doing really well. This place felt like a dream for the first week, but now that I’m more familiar, I’m finally finding my footing. I’ve shadowed a lot of the assignments here in the Compound this week, except for the scouts, of course. I thought I would’ve seen you more recently, what have you been up to?” 

“You have quite the drive, very few have the initiative you do when they first arrive,” The tan woman started, admiration coloring her accented english, “And I’ve been out on assignment since I saw you last. Duty calls, as you all say.” 

“Anything inter-” The brunette began, only to be cut off by a familiar voice. 

“Serena, have you gotten what you came for?” The redhead from before stood next to them, gaze fixed on the tan woman and ignoring Andy completely. Her hair looked damp and the rugged look Andy had begun to associate with her was replaced with the image of her now; fresh faced and clean. Though no less tired-looking. 

“Almost. Emily, I’d like you to meet Andy, she’s the woman Tish and I picked up last week. The one I told you about? Andy, this is my partner, Emily.” 

Finally, the brit’s gaze turned to Andy. It didn’t take long before her eyes widened slightly in recognition. The look in her eyes was devoid of the malice from earlier, Andy noted pleasantly. 

“For all of your supposed brilliance outside of the walls, you’re remarkably clumsy,” Emily broke the silence, holding out her prosthetic hand, “Emily Charlton.” 

“Andy Sachs. Sorry again, by the way.” Andy said sheepishly, shaking the woman’s hand. It was an unusual feeling- the way the skeletal metal closed around her hand. Not uncomfortably so. It was the difference in temperature that made it noticeable. 

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, don’t let it happen again. If you’ll excuse us, we’re needed elsewhere at the moment.” 

“Of course. It was good to see you, Serena. And nice to meet you, Emily.” 

“You as well. And Andy, I could talk to Tish about you shadowing with her and the rest of the seekers? Maybe next week? I’d hate for you to be assigned at the end of your month and not be aware of everything you could be part of. Tish will find a way to work around your tests.” Serena offered, ignoring the surprised look Emily gave her. 

“That’d be great. Thank you.”

“Of course. Until next time.” The woman gave her a smile before turning and walking in the other direction. Emily gave her a nod, following the other woman, both of them leaving the brunette pleasantly stunned. Gripping the tray in her hands she made her way back to the table. 

Doug, Lily, and Nate were talking animatedly at the table, smiles on their faces. Doug was talking passionately about something, since his hands were motioning all over while he spoke. Warmth nestled in and settled in her chest. 

  
  


“What took you so long? Is the choice between beans and potatoes really that hard?” Lily teased as the brunette sat down across from her. 

“No, I just got caught talking to someone.” Andy said with a good-natured eyeroll, poking her potatoes with a metal fork. 

“Anyone interesting?” Nate asked. 

“Uh,” Andy stalled, freezing. She knew how they felt about people like Serena and Emily. And despite her better judgement, she felt a pleasantness when it came to the two. They’d never done anything to her, so why should she hold a grudge because of their position? “Not really. Someone else was having a difficult time choosing between the beans and potatoes, so I offered my thoughts.” 

“Of course you did. Andy Sachs, friendliest person in the Compound!” 

The three laughed while the brunette let out an awkward chuckle. Her gaze was focused intently on her food, worried that if she made prolonged eye contact they’d know she was lying.  _ Then again _ , she thought,  _ they don’t hate Tish- so as long as they don’t know who set it up, I’m fine.  _

Coming out of her thoughts, she became aware of how silent it was. 

Her gaze snapped up, only to see Lily and Nate’s gazes fixed on something over her shoulder. They looked pissed. Twisting, she caught the icy blue eyes of a silver-haired woman making her way into the dining hall. Andy felt frozen. The look in the woman’s eyes was undecipherable, just as her neutral expression was. All she knew was that breaking the eye contact would feel like losing somehow. She did it anyway. 

Everyone else around them had their eyes focused on the woman, their expressions varied from anger to fearful awe. Though she had no idea who the woman was, it made sense. Her eyes were cold and piercing. Add it to the tactical gear hanging off of her frame and the menacing scar across her mouth, the woman looked like she could make a grown man cry. She probably had. 

It felt like watching her had been in slow-mo, but soon enough she was ensconced in the dinner line and out of sight. Andy suddenly realized she’d been holding her breath the whole time. 

“Who was  _ that? _ ” She asked breathlessly. 

“The devil.” Nate spat, spearing something on his tray with unnecessary force. 

Andy turned to Doug with a raised eyebrow, noticing absently how his expression remained carefully neutral. If he knew anything, she knew he’d tell her without forcing his opinion on the matter. 

“Her name is Miranda, she’s the leader of the collectors. Most people around here aren’t very… fond of her, so a lot of her ‘names’ are devil related.” Doug said softly, since the dining hall was still unusually quiet. 

“Sure, she looks intimidating, but is she really that bad?” 

“Yes. She is a selfish, unfeeling bitch who only cares about herself and  _ sometimes  _ those close to her. She is absolutely that bad.” The young cook said with such vitriol that the brunette flinched. Part of her wanted to argue, for a reason unknown to her, that maybe he was overreacting. A small voice in her head just told her to leave it alone. So she did. 

The rest of dinner was a quiet, tense affair. When Miranda left with her own tray, Andy watched her go the whole way. Her mere presence boasted power. It was intoxicating to see the self-assured way that she walked, unaffected by the eyes following her every move.

A curiosity the brunette thought lost rooted inside of her all through dinner and when she fell asleep that night- What gives a person that kind of power? 

  
  



	2. Bumpy roads, Worthwhile Destinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving inside the building with her weapon at the ready, she examined everything with a finely tuned eye. She walked by the ends of each isle to make sure there were no Infected lurking around. Nothing. Letting her shoulders relax, she let out a long breath. Her eyes slipped closed at the same time, enjoying the calm around her before getting back to business. Andy made quick work of grabbing various snacks and was reaching for a box of energy bars when she heard it. 
> 
> A gunshot. 
> 
> It was faint, but still there. Rushing outside, she was met with the sight of Tish hurriedly moving back into the truck, shotgun abandoned in the cab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to thank all of you for being so amazingly patient with me as I work on uploading. If you will all allow it, I’d like to be painfully open here. The truth is that I’m not in the best place right now. With everything going on right now in the world, and with me personally, I’ve barely had the energy to take care of myself. So it’s safe to say that this next chapter wasn’t my first priority. Preparing myself to go back to work and school full-time has been terrifying and incredibly lonely. And certain events have made me completely lose sight of my future. I’m doing okay, but sometimes life isn’t the easiest game to play. 
> 
> All this means is that while this story will continue, it is going to take some time. Please be patient with me. I’m taking this extra time to write for both of us. Thank you for your patience now and in the future. 
> 
> I once again extended it to include another chapter. Everytime I sit down, I seriously underestimate how much that is supposed to be included. Hopefully, you all won’t be too upset with me, haha. And if you are? Well... I don’t know what to tell you. Just go with the flow, I guess? 
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Please enjoy!

Waking up on the Monday of her third week, Andy felt a strange sense of initiative settle in her chest. This week and the next would be the defining times in her ‘new’ life. Not only would she finally get to shadow the scouts, but she would begin the series of tests to define her role in the Compound. 

If she was honest with herself, a lot of hope was riding on this week and the experiences to come. Namely those outside of the Compound walls. She’d done it all in her first two weeks- burying her hands in the dirt with the harvesters, curating balanced meals with chefs, even learning how to reassemble a gun with the guards. None of them felt quite right. The closest she’d come had been while helping in the crop buildings, though she wondered if that was only due to Doug’s presence. 

Tish had briefed her on the mission during the week. Not that she needed it. Serena and Emily, though grudgingly for the latter, kept her well informed on what went on inside and outside of the walls. It was a typical run for survivors, starting in the more sparse areas and working toward the more frequent haunts of the Infected. Tish and her team decided to keep it somewhat simple, since Andy was with them. No matter how skilled she was with survival. 

On Tuesday morning the group would set out. Seven people in three large pickup trucks. Three in one, two in each of the others. With the help of a large map, Andy and the seekers had mapped out the routes each vehicle would take. One would branch to the east as far as possible before circling back and continuing to the west for the same distance. The other would move north, while Tish would take Andy south along the route she’d traveled, checking her old stops for other travelers. All they needed was to be back by sunset, since it was too hard to see oncoming Infected at night.

She’d have to juggle an extra day's worth of tests throughout the week, but she wasn’t overly concerned. Losing a few hours of down-time would be worth the experience she’d get working with a group outside of the walls. The idea of potentially helping others who were in the same position she had been became her driving force. 

Movement from the doorway caught her attention, making her turn to investigate. Lily stood leaning against the doorframe with a grin. The brunette offered a smile of her own, sitting up in her bunk. 

“Come on, lazy bones. You’re going to need some breakfast before your tests.” Lily said, nodding her head in the direction of the dining area. Andy followed without a word, quickly falling in step with the other woman. 

“How do you feel?” Lily asked, breaking the silence that had surrounded them. 

“Nervous.” 

“Don’t be. It’ll be all psych tests today, so you’ll answer a ton of questions about yourself. Half of them will feel pointless. Apparently, it helps them narrow down the best place for you based on your ‘mental state.’” 

The change in tone peaked the brunette’s curiosity, making her glance at Lily in time to catch the roll of her eyes. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to be annoyed at something going on, but this felt different. Lily was a relatively simple woman. And what angered her boiled down to two things- answering to authority figures and not getting her way.  _ Probably the most inconvenient things to get pissed about here,  _ Andy mused often. 

Andy knew better than to pursue that avenue, though. Once Lily got started, it took a disaster to stop her. And she had no desire to add annoyance to her already present nervousness. From what she’d heard and seen around the Compound, the tests could make or break you. Seven days of psych evaluations, rigorous physical assessments, and reactive drills- and the outcome? A role that only death could get you out of. 

Many nights she wondered if the desire for a purpose overcame the hopeless outlook of the future. 

Everything seemed more lively this morning. Loud chatter and bright faces overtook the usual quiet exhaustion of mornings in the Compound. It felt… nice, Andy decided, inspiring some pep in her step as she moved to get breakfast. 

“Andy doll! Get yourself over here!” A happy, accented voice called out from behind one of the counters. There stood a heavy-set woman with a glass eye and a smile, holding a spatula in her hand like it was a wand. “How are you feeling this morning, honey?”

“I’m a little nervous, but I feel ready,” Andy said, walking over to the counter where the woman was, looking at what was in front of her, “What’s good to eat today, Maggie?” 

“Hashbrowns are always good. Necessary carbs and such. Oh, we finally got some eggs from those chickens! There isn’t much though, so if you want some you better get them now. That sound good?” 

“That sounds like heaven, honestly.” The brunette smiled widely, looking longingly at the small portion of eggs that the woman put on her plate. Before the infection, she hadn’t been fond of eggs. They’d been something to eat when the fridge was empty and only then. Now though, as they sat on her plate, they looked like something she would dream about for months. 

“Would you two like a room?” A sarcastic english voice asked, making her snort. Emily was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“That’d be great, actually.” Andy snarked back good-naturedly, making the corner of the redhead’s mouth turn up in a small smirk. 

“Some for you too, Emily?” 

“That’d be wonderful. Thank you, Maggie.” She said, receiving a large spoonful on her plate before the two moved away with friendly smiles. “I won’t ask you how you feel about today. You’ll be fine- a psychologist asking questions about your sleep patterns isn’t going to undo your seams.” 

“Thank you. What was it like for you, going through them?” 

“I lied through my teeth for half of it, but it worked out. I’m in the position I deserve now. That is all that matters.” Emily said confidently, prompting Andy to look at her for a long moment. 

The brunette couldn’t claim to know everything about Emily, but she liked to think that she could read her pretty well. Not that the other woman was as closed-off as many would imagine. People looked at her differently- Andy had a sneaking suspicion it was the metal arm, Serena said that Emily thought they hated her. When she’d brought it up to the brit, she’d waved it off with a few well placed, snarky comments laced with pride. It was all bravado. When she thought the brunette wasn’t looking, Emily’s smirk dropped into dreary contemplation. 

She had Serena and the other’s she worked with, but Andy guessed that didn’t stop Emily from feeling extremely lonely. It was in the way the redhead had almost latched onto her when Andy kept starting conversations, or how she snapped too quickly when she felt hurt by something that was said. Emily needed a friend. Andy was all too happy to provide. Despite the occasional hostile jab, the british woman was a good listener and respected her thoughts. Brief conversations with her and Serena felt more invigorating than anything she’d had in her weeks at the Compound. Sometimes she thought about telling her that. 

“Where do you think you’ll end up, anyway? Hoping for anywhere specific?” Emily added, having gotten no response to her previous statement. Fiddling with the utensils in her hand subtly, she stood off to a side so they wouldn’t be blocking any lines. 

“Not really. Nothing feels right for me, yet.” 

“Whatever you get assigned to, I’m sure you’ll adapt.” The brit said, her tone making Andy long for some of the confidence she had. “I better be going. It’s unlikely I’ll see you before you set out tomorrow, so be vigilant and I will speak to you when you get back.” 

Andy nodded, letting her leave first. She didn’t think any of her friend’s had the slightest clue of her growing relationship with two of the ‘butchers,’ but she didn’t want any suspicions. Lily and Nate thought they were the scum of the Earth, warning her that getting mixed up with them only brought trouble. Or that they wouldn’t hesitate to deal with her if she got in their way- as if Andy couldn’t defend herself. 

Breakfast that morning was easy enough. Lily cautioning her about the tests, Nate complaining, and Doug keeping the conversation enjoyable- it was typical. And now sitting in a hard plastic chair outside of a stuffy office, she wished it hadn’t gone so fast. Sweat gathering on her palms betraying the neutral look of her face. The walls around her were an uncomfortably bleary beige, the only bright spot a green plant with browning leaves. 

“This has to be the most lifeless place in the whole Compound,” The brunette muttered to herself. It was out of habit more than anything; a way to cope with the overwhelming loneliness that came with silence. Keeping a running commentary, even just with herself, kept her from acknowledging the fear she’d felt waking up. And now in the uncomfortable waiting room, she felt herself calming ever so slightly. 

“Andy?” A kind voice followed the creak of hinges and shuffling steps. Andy met the eyes of a tall man wearing an off-white cardigan and squared glasses. His long, dreaded hair was pulled up to show off a smiling face. “I’m Doctor Maxwell, it’s nice to meet you.” 

The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before moving into the office. Its walls were the same color as the reception area, but well kept plants and colorful trinkets lining the shelves gave it life. It made the room feel safe. Sitting down on the couch towards the middle of the room, she felt her muscles relax against the soft cushions. 

“I see you like the couch, then.” Doctor Maxwell said, looking amused. “It’s really nice to nap on. Though, we won’t be doing any napping today.” 

“That’s a shame, I could really use one.” Andy said back. 

“Oh? Are you not sleeping well?” Gone was the light-hearted, soothing voice of before. Instead, it was serious, and her eyes snapped open from where they’d shut in relaxation. Muscles unconsciously tensed at the sudden change. Maxwell’s warm brown eyes were steely, waiting for something. Anything. Silently, the brunette thanked Emily for all of the piercing glares that made Doctor Maxwell’s feel like a gentle gaze. 

“Oh, no, I’m sleeping fine. The bunks don’t compare to this, though.” 

“So you’re sleeping alright? No problems?” 

“None, surprisingly. The first few days after getting picked up were rough, since I was still adjusting, but it’s been smooth sailing since!” She found herself lying. Though she wasn’t sure why; it just felt safer that way. No amount of comfortable cushions and brightly colored plants made her want to talk about the nightmares she had experienced every night since arriving. She got enough sleep anyway, she reasoned. 

Doctor Maxwell didn’t say anything, just narrowing his eyes after her statement. Plastering what she hoped was a carefree smile on her face, she looked right back at him. Apparently that was enough. 

“I’m glad to hear it. Many of the people who come into the Compound often have a difficult time adjusting. It’s amazing how you’ve been out there longer than any of them and yet you’re perfectly fine.” He said smoothly, watching once again for any crack in her façade. None came. 

“Just lucky like that, I guess.” 

“Of course. I’ve heard many things about you since your arrival, you’re very… active. Most individuals go along with anything that happens around here. Not you. You’ve shadowed nearly every assignment, barring your last opportunity tomorrow. What brought on such an idea?” 

“A friend of mine explained the process once we arrived; you wait a few weeks and then go through all of these tests to finally decide your place in the last week. I thought that if I could be assigned anywhere, I might as well shadow them so I’m good at it. I like to be helpful.”  _ That and I was bored out of my mind. I mean seriously, I wasn’t going to sit around twiddling my thumbs for three weeks,  _ Andy thought. 

“You’ve been very helpful. Everyone I spoke to had nothing but praise for you. That must make you feel very good, I’d imagine?” 

“Oh, sure. The reward is all in helping though, not the praise.” 

“And you’ve built quite a community around yourself, you have no shortage of friends. Though you tend to spend most of your time with a select three, a um,” Maxwell flipped through a piece of paper settled on his knee, reading off of it quickly, “Nate, Lily, and Doug. Do you have a good relationship with them?” 

“I’d hope so, considering I spend so much time with them.” She joked. No mention of Emily or Serena in his report, she gathered, wondering if there would be a different line of questioning had he known. Few people thought highly of the collectors, Maxwell didn’t seem any different. 

Only a few minutes had passed, though the doctor seemed more at ease. Like he’d been looking for something and he’d found it. They passed another five minutes with more questions that seemed harmless before he thanked her and sent her on her way. She couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he’d gotten from such a short conversation. 

Expecting the evaluation to have taken longer, she felt at a loss. Horror stories of people who’d been evaluated for hours made her believe that she would suffer the same fate. Now, having nothing to do, she faced two choices; go find something to help out with or explore some personally unmapped areas of the Compound. She chose the latter. 

Seeing every part of the Compound was nearly impossible. It was massive and extremely secure. There were the common buildings where people went about normal tasks like sleeping and eating, then there were specialized buildings for the workers. Most of them you could wander into, but some of them required a clearance pass. The only unknown was a medium sized building on the west end. Tinted windows and ultra-thick metal doors made it impenetrable. It required high clearance to get inside. Nobody could remember seeing a soul go in or come out. Andy had taken to calling it the ghost fort. 

Veering down an unknown hallway, Andy came face to face with a dozen closed doors. Nobody lingered where she could see. However, she could hear noise coming from behind some of them. An intense desire to know what stood behind the doors nagged at her, so she ventured to the left side and grabbed the handle. Turning the knob slowly, she gently pushed in forward, cringing at how it scraped against the floor. 

Behind the door was a large room with various objects littered all over the surfaces. The furniture was all mismatched, though still similar in color. A large rectangular table sat in the middle of the room lined with chairs, while a smaller desk was nearer to the wall with only one chair.  _ A desk.  _ Bookshelves against the wall towered over the rest of the room, their shelves sad, mostly empty with the exception of a few books and scattered papers. 

Andy wandered over to the large table, taking in the large rolled up documents and pieces of paper with furiously scribbled writing. Pens and pencils rested next to the papers with one in particular catching her eye. It was a number two pencil. Though where it’d usually be an odd yellow, it was a metallic blue.  _ I haven’t seen one of these since High School,  _ Andy thought. And though she didn’t know if it was because of the nostalgia or just an errant desire, she pocketed the pencil. 

As she was turning from the table to leave, one of the rolled up documents caught her eye. Unrolling it slowly, bold lettering at the top drew her attention first, reading  _ Carlisle Barracks Army Base.  _ It took her a few moments to realize she was looking at blueprints of the Compound. Names differed from what she knew now, but the locations were all the same. Except one. There was no building where she knew the ghost fort to be. It was empty space labeled  _ training grounds,  _ though she knew nobody had used it for that purpose in some time.  _ Weird,  _ Andy couldn’t help but think. 

She didn’t have time to look at anything further as approaching voices startled her. Looking helplessly between the door and the rest of the room, panic began to set in. There was nowhere to hide in the hallway. If she left now, she’d be spotted immediately. And the voices were moving closer. Seeing no other option or way out, she threw herself under the desk against the wall. Just in time, too. 

“I think she’s finally accepted that it’s too dangerous to try and bribe our way in. We run the risk of exposing everything. Not that we have much of value to bargain with anyway.” A man’s voice said, the quiet room making his voice echo slightly. She heard some shuffling as she assumed he was picking up papers. 

“They didn’t prepare for so many people in one area. They’re greedy and running out of food, you’re saying that isn’t something we can bargain with?” A woman responded.  _ Serena,  _ Andy recognized, wondering if she could move out of the room and the woman would cover her.  _ You aren’t that close,  _ a little voice reminded her, increasing her frustration. 

“It has value, but think about it- they’ll ask for more food than we can reasonably offer or they’ll want plants so they can keep up their own supply. If we offer anything to the wrong person, we expose the fact that we want to get inside to all of them. And if they can sustain themselves then we lose bargaining power later  _ and  _ expose our intentions. It isn’t worth it.” 

“I suppose. I still think we could make it work as a last resort, though,” Serena replied. Andy felt relieved to hear their footsteps moving towards the door before they stopped, “Oh, she wants the layouts off her desk as well.” 

Andy froze. 

Footsteps moved towards the desk at a brisk speed, making Andy hold her breath. It wasn’t Serena, she realized. The footsteps were too heavy. She hoped with every part of her being that they wouldn’t walk around the back and see her. The man stopped next to the desk in complete silence, making her heart stop.  _ One, two, three, four, five…  _ Andy counted, breathing very slowly through her mouth so there wasn’t any extra noise. 

_ Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.  _

Shuffling papers broke the silence and finally, the man moved away from the desk. A  _ click  _ of the door closing followed shortly after. The brunette let out a long, ragged breath as her heart slowed from its previously frantic beating. 

“Fuck,” She muttered, letting her head fall back against the side of the desk. Giving herself time to calm down significantly, she finally moved out from her spot underneath the desk. She pressed her ear to the door to listen for any foot traffic outside. Nothing. 

Turning the knob and double-checking, she shut the door behind her. She couldn’t help but be hyper-aware of her footsteps in the hallway. After moving out of the hallway, the brunette made her way back to the bunks. The mental exhaustion was settling in. Carefully avoiding any routes where she’d have to interact with anyone else, she finally made it back to her bunk. And within minutes she’d fallen back asleep. 

The rest of the day passed in a bit of a blur. Grogginess clouded most of the actions after her nap, including conversations with her dinner companions. She hoped she provided adequate responses, though she was too focused on the next day to give that much attention. 

Waking up on Tuesday, she was acutely aware that there were no wake up sirens. Just a hand clasped around her shoulder. Confusion made her crack open an eye, only to be met with the kind face of Tish. 

“Time to go, honey,” Tish said softly, so as not to disturb anyone sleeping in the next bunks, “You’ve got five minutes to be by the doors. You hearin’ me?” 

Andy nodded, blinking rapidly in an attempt to wake herself quicker, though it had little effect. Moving from the bed and wiping herself down with a wet cloth, she dressed herself in her loosest clothing. Maneuverability is the greatest weapon in the field. And if you were smart, you didn’t take chances with it. Andy wasn’t about to let slim odds decide whether she lived or died. 

Her clothing choices apparently pleased Tish, as she received a thumbs up upon her arrival by the doors before they moved outside. The two moved in the direction of the garages, where the rest of the seekers were waiting for them in the three large pickup trucks. Andy was surprised by how different they all looked when standing next to one another. In all of the teams she’d seen thus far, they’d all had a unifying characteristic; mechanics with indented, bruised palms from their tools or the chapped skin of cleaners from the plastic gloves they wore all day. 

Five others were waiting by the trucks, gathered around one, where a map was unrolled on the hood. The routes she remembered talking through were highlighted in different colors. In certain spaces along the highlighted roads would be circles. Tish explained these as hotspots, various three-mile areas where they’d located the majority of the individuals they brought back. Andy realized how excited she was at the prospect of helping others, barely containing a smile as a result. 

“Alright, everyone, eyes on me,” Tish said, the other five people turning to her as she spoke, “This is Andy, the girl I told you all about. She’ll be with me today. Mary and Chris, Slim will be with you. We’ve got work to do so keep your introductions quick.” 

The two she recognized as Mary and Chris came up, shaking her hand and offering friendly smiles. Mary was thinner with a larger upper half, rippling with muscle to a degree that was mildly frightening. Chris was much of the same. Though where Mary had black hair, he had blonde. 

“Good to meet you, Andy,” Chris said, “You ready to get outside these walls again?” 

“Surprisingly, yes,” Andy laughed, making the other two let out a chuckle of their own, “I’m not a huge fan of standing still.” 

“We know what you mean. Don’t let us keep you from meeting everyone, though. We’ll see you back here this evening.” Mary said. Andy took it as a friendly way of saying ‘hurry up’ and gave her a nod of understanding. 

Two more men walked up to her and introduced themselves as Aaron and Jethro. Andy noted that Jethro seemed to be the only one of the group above forty- she excluded Tish from that thought, as the woman had no visible markers of her age like wrinkles or grey hair, but she spoke a lot like her own mother did. The two men didn’t stick around for pleasantries. The brunette recognized the same ‘get to work’ attitude that most of the team seemed to have adopted. 

Lastly came Slim, Tish’s usual partner. Slim was a shorter Chinese man with slightly feminine features that were covered by dark facial hair. He just offered a nod of acknowledgment before joining the other two in his assigned vehicle. The quick acknowledgement of her presence shouldn’t have startled her, but it did. She’d wanted to thank the man for giving up his spot with Tish so she could join them.  _ I’ll just have to do it later.  _

Andy joined her partner, hopping up into the passenger side of a red pick-up truck. A map was placed in her hand as soon as she’d gotten herself situated. She recognized their route for the day and nodded in thanks, Tish giving her a nod back. Rolling down her window, the older woman stuck out her arm and waved her hand in a forward motion, prompting the two other vehicles to turn on their engines. And shifting their own truck into  _ Drive _ , they were off. 

They pulled up to the same gate that Andy recalled coming in through. One of the guards nodded to them before she yelled to someone and the gate began to creak open. The difference in the terrain from what she’d seen coming in was startling, her focus on the tall grass surrounding the walls.  _ That can’t be good for visibility,  _ Andy thought. If the brunette stood next to the tall grass, she surmised it would be level with her chest. For the less intelligent Infected that would do just fine. But with those that moved on all fours it could pose as a problem when opening and shutting the gate.  _ Nobody is going to cut the grass outside of the walls on the slim chance an Infected hides in it,  _ a small voice reminded her, though the thought of how rare it probably was didn’t make her any less tense. 

“You okay, honey?” Tish’s voice broke through her internal panic.

“Yeah, that tall grass just isn’t great for visibility is all.” 

“I think the same thing every time we leave, but it hasn’t given us too many problems yet. Besides, we’re properly protected in here. I’ve got my guns and I brought this,” The older woman moved Andy’s bat from where it’d rested against her leg, “from your room. Figured you might want it out here.” 

Andy gripped the handle in her hand, muscles easing at the familiar weight of it. She’d completely forgotten it in her mission to make it to the doors on time. 

“I did, thank you.” She smiled. 

“No thanks needed, sugar.” 

The two descended into a comfortable silence, giving the brunette the opportunity to study everything they passed. Tall, wispy grass swayed with the wind, the morning light reflecting off of it as it moved. Ascending up the rolling hills outside of the window the grasses danced like waves. Bountiful, unified, and stunning. Where the grass would have tapered in length before, it stayed the same, thriving in the absence of mowers or wildlife to feed on it. It almost looked better this way. Overwhelming and wild.  _ Not unlike the Infected,  _ the thought struck her, causing her to flinch away from the window slightly. An uncomfortable thought forced its way into the forefront of her mind. 

_ What if we’re better off as the Infected?  _

There was no map of what an Infected’s mind looked like, what their thoughts were, or if they had thoughts at all. They just lived. Free.  _ No fear. No pressures to exist a certain way. They’re uninhibited.  _ Andy felt her brain working at a million miles an hour, her initial comfort from being outside of the walls fading. What if the infection was a gift they’d misinterpreted- the bolt cutters to the cage placed around them? 

It felt like the thought was ricocheting through her body like a bullet. Only stopped by the images in her mind. The images that’d flickered across new stations in the beginning when they had no idea what was happening. People who looked just like them, down to the flush in their cheeks, but blood painted their lips instead of lipstick. Social media posts of scattered limbs in highly infected areas. A newsman attacked on live television, his scream barely covering the noise of excitement the Infected let out as ripped flesh and veins dangled from its jaws. The person behind the camera frozen in fear as the feed made its way to millions across the country, the news station scrambling to turn it off. The country descended into chaos. 

_ We could never be better off that way. Not without our humanity.  _

But she knew that humanity was a choice. A choice that many made out of opportunism. Whether it meant refusing to take the warnings and look out for one another or sacrificing another life in the heat of the moment to spare a few more seconds of their own. It sent a shudder through her body to think of the grandparents and elders who’d been sacrificed for the sake of survival. The shudder apparently didn’t go unnoticed. 

“You need a blanket or something, honey?” Tish asked, giving her a side-eye. 

“Oh, uh, no thank you. Just a chill.” Andy replied, startled. The other woman just nodded before going back to her driving. 

Shaking the dark thoughts from her head, she glanced around her. The scenery hadn’t changed much, but looking at the signs she realized they were approaching one of the first hotspots. There were more and more cars abandoned along the side of the road. And the crisp smell of nature quickly replaced with a faint perfume of rot. With a glance in the rearview mirrors, she confirmed that they’d split from the other two groups. She couldn’t afford to daydream here, not if someone’s life hung in the balance. 

“We’re going to stop at that gas station where I found you and grab some food. If we find people, they might be hungry, and it’d be best to have something for them.” 

Andy nodded, giving the woman a thumbs up as they pulled up to the station. It looked nearly identical to the way she remembered it. The only disturbance to her memory was that the doors were missing. Everything lining the shelves appeared the same from her vantage point. 

“You want to go or do you want me to?” Tish asked, a playful look on her face. 

“Rock, paper, scissors for it?” Andy suggested.

“You’re on.” 

The two shared a grin before tapping a fist on their palms and throwing out a sign. Tish, scissors. Andy, rock. Both women shared a laugh at the childish moment, the brunette shaking her head with a smile while grabbing her bat and moving to open the door. Scanning her side through the window she declared it safe. 

Bat in hand, she carefully made her way up to the doorway, only turning around when Tish’s movements startled her. The woman had slipped into the back of the truck and was standing watch. Andy eyed the shotgun in the woman’s hand, raising an eyebrow. Tish just raised one in return, gesturing to their surroundings. She took the hint and got back to work, stepping carefully through the broken glass that had been part of the doors. Doors that were missing. Screws littered the ground in between the shards of glass, making the brunette wonder who’d been here and why they’d taken the doors. 

Moving inside the building with her weapon at the ready, she examined everything with a finely tuned eye. She walked by the ends of each isle to make sure there were no Infected lurking around. Nothing. Letting her shoulders relax, she let out a long breath. Her eyes slipped closed at the same time, enjoying the calm around her before getting back to business. Andy made quick work of grabbing various snacks and was reaching for a box of energy bars when she heard it. 

A gunshot. 

It was faint, but still there. Rushing outside, she was met with the sight of Tish hurriedly moving back into the truck, shotgun abandoned in the cab. 

“Andy, let’s move!” She yelled, starting the engine as the brunette rushed back into the passenger seat, dropping the food items on the floor at her feet. 

As soon as Andy’s door slammed shut, Tish didn’t hesitate to put the truck in reverse and slam her foot down on the gas. The younger woman lurched forward slightly at the quick movement. If Tish noticed, or cared, she didn’t show it. With a quick change to  _ drive _ they were off down the road, a second gunshot ringing out louder this time.  _ We’re going towards it,  _ Andy realized. 

“Grab my gun through the window and hold onto it. They’ve probably got it under control, but I want to be prepared just in case.” Tish said, prompting Andy to follow her orders. She grabbed the gun and had it at the ready when they pulled up to a broken up building. Though the sign was extremely busted up, Andy recognized the  _ Wendy’s  _ logo. A pang of nostalgia hit her. She didn’t have time to wallow in it, however, because pressed against the door of the building was a young man cradling his arm. 

“Do you want me to-?” Andy started to ask, only to be cut off as Tish shook her head. 

“I’ll take care of it, honey. You watch the truck.” 

The woman took her shotgun from Andy carefully and got out of the vehicle. She approached the man carefully, stepping over what corpses of the Infected. Without her windows rolled down, she couldn’t hear anything that was being said. It seemed fine. Until Tish suddenly took a few large steps back from the man. Andy didn’t have time to blink before two bullets were unloaded into his skull. Shock flooded her, everything feeling like it was moving in slow motion. The muffled noises from the shots still ringing in her ears. 

Leaning her head onto the headrest and closing her eyes, she heard the door open and her companion slide back into the driver’s seat. Shuffling followed. And then… silence. 

“Was he…” Andy started, the growing lump in her throat stopping her question. 

“Yes.” 

Tears pricked her eyes before numb acceptance smothered it. She kept her eyes closed as they started to move again, and she was unsure how long she stayed that way. Emotions cycled through her body rapidly, like a washing machine. Anger, sadness, numbness. Anger, sadness, numbness. Again and again and again. Her fists clenched in her lap, a ragged sigh leaving her body.  _ I was so naïve.  _ A part of her had seen the job through rose-colored lenses, believing that they would be able to save everyone they came into contact with. The unfortunate truth was that the Infected had the advantage. At the end of the day, they’d save maybe a third of what the Infected would take. 

“I’m sorry that this was your first experience out here, but it’s better you learn it all now. They’d bitten him before we could get there. It was what he wanted.” Tish said softly. 

“Does it happen a lot?” She asked, dreading the answer. 

“Not a lot, but it’s not uncommon. It never gets any easier, either. At the end of the day you just have to see that it’s better. Letting them turn takes more lives. And would you want to become the monster that tore your world apart?” 

Andy shook her head. She refused to make eye contact with the other woman, preferring to watch the scenery outside of the window once more. They drove for a while. One by one, they crossed off the stops on their list, not finding anyone else. New Infected corpses would show up every now and again, but they’d never find the ones responsible. The brunette wasn’t as upset as she had been earlier in the day. She’d come to understand it was the best thing to do. Sadness still lingered in her mind, though. 

They were coming up on the last stop of the day before they’d back-track towards the Compound, Andy keeping a watch for any Infected when a thought from the morning struck her again. 

“Hey, Tish?” 

“Yeah?”   
  


“How come Serena isn’t with us today? Does she have other duties within the Compound or something to take care of?” Her question prompted Tish to furrow her eyebrows and give her a strange look. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

“Serena was with you when I got picked up. She’s a seeker, isn’t she?” 

“Oh! No, honey, Serena was filling in that day. She’s a collector. Miranda lends out her people when we need some extra hands. She’s good like that. I honestly forgot she was with me when you got picked up. Crazy how time flies, isn’t it?” The woman responded, breezing through information Andy was still processing. She’d never heard anyone talk so positively about Miranda before. Emily and Serena didn’t talk about their work much. She had so many questions about the powerful woman, but movement outside of the truck distracted both of them. 

Walking towards the truck was a small woman with light hair and dirt marks all over her body. She had a limp, a cloth wrapped tightly around her ankle stained with blood. Andy and Tish shared a surprised look before rolling down their windows. 

“What happened to you?” Tish asked.

“I cut my leg on some glass outside of a gas station a couple days ago. I don’t have any antibacterial solution so I wrapped it and hoped it’d help, but it’s swelling really bad.” The woman replied. 

“And you ain’t been bit?” 

“No, thank god.” 

“Alrighty then. Andy here is going to help you into the back and we’ll get you all patched up at home.” Andy hopped out and stabilized the woman, taking weight off of her leg so she could move faster towards the truck. 

“Home?” The woman asked, looking startled. 

“We’re from a place called the Compound. It’s a little while up North, not too far from that gas station you injured yourself at.” Andy supplied the information, watching the woman scoot herself slowly further into the bed of the truck so she was closer to the window. 

“Oh, wow, um,” The woman looked like she was getting emotional, subtly swiping at her eyes where tears were escaping, “I was moving South. I passed right by you guys.” 

“Well now you’re alright. You’re going to get that cut looked at first thing and then you’ll get settled in all safe. Now what’s your name, stranger?” The brunette asked with a smile. 

“I’m Melanie. You’re Andy, right?” 

“That’s me. And the gorgeous lady in the driver’s seat is Tish. You were our last stop for today, so don’t hesitate to lay down and relax on the way back.” 

“Thank you.” Melanie smiled, her eyes glassy with tears and she put her head down on her arms. 

The brunette remembered intensely how it felt to be picked up; what if’s running through your head, making it hard to breathe. Realizing how close you came to facing death so many times and how maybe, just maybe, you were finally safe. You could go back to sleeping full nights. You could eat a real meal instead of cold canned beans. Subtle changes in the wind wouldn’t make you envision all the ways your life could end. You didn’t fear breathing too loud and drawing attention to yourself. After weeks or months of operating on high alert, it felt exhausting to relax. But after the initial fear faded away, it felt phenomenal to let go.

“What you’re feeling right now- that pride? That is what makes this job worth it. Not leaving the walls or the way people look at you, but the relief and trust in the eyes of people you’ve found. No matter how hard it gets out here, you hold onto that feeling, you got me?” Tish spoke lowly, passion filling her voice as she looked to Andy intently. The brunette felt almost like the other woman could hear everything she was thinking as she nodded. 

A comfortable silence filled the space, both women sharing the occasional glance. Andy had worried that the day would have been awkward. Being stuck in a vehicle with a woman you barely knew wasn’t her idea of a vacation. But the more she grew to know Tish, the more comfortable she felt around her. And against her better judgement, she found herself hoping that this would be her assignment. 

She didn’t expect to work with Tish directly, that was Slim’s place, but the other seekers seemed just as friendly.  _ What would it feel like,  _ she wondered,  _ to form the strong relationships they all had?  _ It was life or death. They all knew it. And they watched one another’s backs without hesitation.  _ Like a family.  _

The longer they drove, the more the sunlight faded. Blues faded into pastel pinks and bright purples against a foreground of wispy white clouds. Eventually, the scenery became more familiar, despite the change in lighting. Buildings along the highway that had looked foreign earlier in the day now felt less so- they were markers, keeping them on the right way home. Andy wondered when it had started to feel like a home to her, but she was distracted by yellowed lights in the rearview mirror. 

It was easy to recognize the other two trucks following easily behind them. And if she squinted hard enough, she could make out Aaron’s pleasant expression. She couldn’t tell if they’d found anyone like they had, but she guessed they would find out soon. 

She recognized the glinting metal of the fence before anything. Then, she saw the lights in the towers and from inside the walls. Leaning her head closer to the open window to the bed, she spoke softly, but firmly. 

“Hey Melanie, we’re here. Once we get parked inside we’ll get you a wheelchair and have your leg taken care of.” 

“Thank you.” Melanie’s kind voice came moments later. 

Just as they had before, the guards watching the gate let them in without preamble. Only a mutual nod was shared. The clouds had left the sky, the palette of colors slowly becoming the pitch black of night. Tish expertly pulled into the garage they’d left that morning, stepping out and handing off the keys as she had the last time Andy was with her. 

Her gaze turned to the other groups curiously. Jethro was helping a father and daughter out of their truck, Aaron kindly guiding them to the door, talking quietly to the father while the little girl looked around in awe. It looked like the two had given her the warm blanket that she was clutching to her frame. Andy smiled at the wonder on her face, before looking at Chris, Slim, and Mary. The three didn’t have any people with them. She expected to see disappointment or sadness on their faces, but none was present.  _ Must come with time on the job,  _ she thought. 

Where most footsteps were moving towards the building, she heard a pair moving away from it. They were heading straight towards them. With a glance, she confirmed that it was a medic in loose scrubs with a wheelchair. Melanie had also noticed and was moving herself slowly towards the edge of where she was sitting. The medic didn’t ask any questions or give any acknowledgements. He went straight to work. Gently, he helped Melanie into the chair and gave them a glance before moving away, back towards the building. Andy was, and continued to be, impressed with how efficiently everyone at the Compound worked. They did their jobs first, asked permission second. It was clear that it worked. 

“Hey, Andy,” A voice came from behind her, making her turn. It was Slim. She was surprised as he hadn’t been too conversational that morning, “How was your first day?” 

“Rough to start, but definitely worth it. Yours?” Andy said with a smile, missed the unspoken meaning behind his question. She didn’t know much about him, just that he must be a good guy if Tish worked closely with him. 

“Nothing too exciting happened, but it’s pretty normal,” He flashed a grin, “I’m glad you came back still seeming like yourself.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh. It can be rough for first-timers, that’s all. They either come back looking haunted or start acting weird. Overcompensating.” 

Andy nodded and the two shared a look of understanding. It’d been rough that morning to a point where she’d almost given up. And maybe if she hadn’t been out on her own for so long before, she would have. She could see how easily it could take a toll on anyone who wasn’t properly prepared. 

“Andy, are you joining us?” She turned to see Aaron approaching with Chris, Mary, and Jethro. 

“Joining you?” Andy asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“For dinner.” 

The request shocked her. From everything she’d heard and seen, the rogue’s kept to themselves. But they seemed to be nothing but open. Was it all an act on their part, to keep unwanted individuals from getting involved with them? She wanted so badly to know what she’d done to open these people up to her. And seeing them all look to her with pleasant, open expressions, she couldn’t deny that she wanted to join them. 

_ What’s stopping me?  _

“Yeah, I’d love to,” She agreed, flashing a smile. Matching pace with the group, she ignored the worry that she’d be seen by Lily or Nate. But it was late. She’d be fine, she decided. It was worth it to join this group for dinner. 

Moving inside the building, they all paused to look down into the seating area. Apart from a few stragglers, it was empty. Andy felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She could just enjoy the conversation without worrying about offering up explanations the next day. 

They chose a table near the exit from the dining area, taking the first table they ran into. Andy sat down on one side between Slim and Mary, while the others claimed the opposite side. Jethro, Tish, and Aaron stayed standing. 

“What do you want, kid?” Jethro asked, his voice gruff, but not unkind. At her confusion, he explained slightly, “To eat.”

“Oh. Surprise me?” 

The man looked pleasantly surprised before a smirk appeared on his face. He gave her a nod. She watched them move towards where the line normally was, before focusing on the lively interaction that was happening at the table. She didn’t say much on her end, but she didn’t need to. It was enough to listen and laugh along with them. 

It felt so refreshing. The conversation began with a positive energy and it never changed. They told jokes. Shared stories. Even played cards. Though, she had no idea where the cards had come from. She hadn’t realized just how used to negativity she was- complaining, bitterness, and anger was all absent. It was easy to enjoy being with them. And she realized that this is where she wanted to be. Permanently. 

The three others returned with trays. Jethro had certainly surprised her; he’d requested a spicy stew for her, something she never would have chosen herself. He didn’t say anything, but he looked pleased that she was enjoying it. The conversation seemed to get louder when they all returned. Andy even found herself being pulled into it, sharing stories and jokes of her own. So caught up in the atmosphere that flowed around her, she was oblivious to a pair of eyes on her. 

Nate’s eyes. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed. I know a lot of you are probably thinking 'where the heck is Miranda?' and rest assured, she will be making appearances in the next chapter. Also, kudos to you all if you recognize some of the additional characters who appeared in this chapter. I'll give you a cookie if you guess correctly ;)

**Author's Note:**

> This is the part where I shamelessly ask you for reviews and feedback. Nothing is too big or too small!


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